Orphans Beloved: East by Southwest
by regertz
Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.
1. Chapter 1

Orphans Beloved… "East by SouthWest…"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.

.

Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.

The stark, futuristic Dyad Institute tower…

"All I want is the girl…Er, woman…" grimly insistent tone…

"Hey, she really got under your skin, didn't she?" Aldous Leekie, leaning back in chair at desk, smirking grin…Glance to the woman by his desk, Rachel Duncan…In all her power, powder-blue, suited, frosted hair glory…

"Allison was a nice girl…There was no reason to kill her." The initial speaker, Donald "Donnie" Hendrix, currently in business suit.

"Well, Mr. Hendrix…The betrayal was mutual…" Rachel, coolly. "We'd no idea our clueless, lovably schlempy monitor was a US government agent."

Still can't believe this lump is a Fed…Paul, likewise in suit, standing opposite Leekie's chair.

No, something's not right here…

"Hendrix, no one regrets poor Allison's death more than me. Given neither of us was exactly honest in our dealings with the poor kid, lets just put it down to an unfortunate mischance. So, let me understand this…" Aldous rose… "I give you our dear Ms. Duncan as our 'fall' lady and you give us the time we need to clear out…Secure our files and equipment and go…Just like that…Before your people move in."

"I can keep them off…But I want her to get what's coming to her." Hendrix, nodding.

God…Donnie…Beam…

You're doing so terrific…We've got to try acting together in the playhouse back home…You're a natural…Like…Cary Grant…Allison, repressing smile…

Paul, though, catching her slight gleam…

Hmmn…

Something tells me maybe our Ms. Duncan didn't succeed so well as we thought in impersonating the little paranoid housewife…

And the lump is likely just that…

Oh…Allison realized she was missing her cue…

Anger the motivation…

"Hendrix, you're still just a fool, agent or no…Aldous isn't about to hand me over." She sneered.

Well…Aldous eyed her…

Aldous?...Her return stare…

After all we've meant to each other…?

And…Eehew, eehew, eehew…God, I wish I'd never learnt about this…You're practically my …Well, her…(cause, God I will never acknowledge you as my) father…

Still…Aldous reflected…She does know a bit too much to hand her over…

And God, she's not only good in bed as Rachel but she's terrific at playing all the others…

I mean two weeks ago, when she was doing Helena… "Before I kill, Devil…We see how good you are…"

What a rush…I can still feel the touch of her knife up my chest…

God…Allison repressed a gag at Leekie's leer…

He's fantasizing about me, isn't he…? Oh, eehewwww…

"I'm afraid it's out of the equation, Mr. Hendrix…" Leekie shrugged. "I'm quite willing to be reasonable and negotiate, but not on that particular item."

"Think again, Doctor…" Donnie insisted. "My people will be here in fifteen unless I make a call!"

"Enough!" "Rachel" pulled out a pistol from her purse… "I've had it with this silly fool!"

Donnie, be careful how you fall…Do it just like we practiced…

Shots fired as Paul watched coolly…Leekie rather less so…Donnie collapsing. Blood issuing from wounds…

Ah, the blood packets worked just fine, well done Felix…Allison repressed a contented beam…

Leekie hurrying to her…

"I shot him!...Aldous, I had to!"

Paul eyeing the scene coolly…

Uh-huh…

Right…

But given fat boy probably does have a crew on the way…

"Paul? Is he…?" Aldous eyed the body as "Rachel" moved to him, embracing…

Leekie taking the gun from her hand…

One never knows if the Helena will out in our girls…Best to take no chances…

Allison for her part, a hair reluctant to give up the gun but following the script…

He has to see it really seems to have been fired, etc…

Hmmn…Paul went over, examining…

Well, does seem…

"He does seem to be dead."

Maybe…Maybe not… He rose and with sudden violent jerk, kicked the corpse…

Nothing…Except a slight whitening and tense clench of hands on "Rachel's" part…

Oh, if that damned gun really fired real bullets you miserable son of a…Fighting, fortunately for her self-control with…

Donnie…Wonderful job…Even if one allows for the drugs.

Anyway, I could always impersonate Helena and slip into this jerk's holding cell later…Sarah's convinced the crazy blonde freak's still alive after her corpse disappeared.

But, on with the playlet…We need to get those files…

"We…We have to get out of here, Aldous!" she urged. "The police and US authorities will be coming!"

"Yes…Time to pull out. Fortunately we can be ready in a few minutes, darling…" Leekie, nodding. Eyeing the blood on "Rachel's" suit. "I think you'd best use the time to change while Paul and I secure things."

She, looking down…Oooh…Slight trembling…

It's not real…Well, it's not really Donnie's…He's fine…Assuming they don't throw him out of a window or into the trash compactor…Or he wakes up from his drug-induced false death state too soon… "Yes, I'd better…Thank you, Aldous…Sorry…I guess I just lost my head."

Well…In a manner of speaking, she eyed Leekie…Ok, quite literally when Sarah had to decapitate her in their final one-on-one when she saved Kira from an "aunt" nearly as crazy as Helena…Your girl did…

And even if she had Helena's and Kira's regenerative genes, I don't think she'll be regrowing a head anytime soon…

"I'd better dispose of that gun, Aldous." Paul suggested…Aldous nodding and handing the gun over. Paul leaving the office, a moment later…Gun in hand.

"I'll go change…Thanks again, Aldous…Uh, what about…?" she eyed Donnie on the floor.

"A present from us for his friends…" Aldous shrugged. "Better hurry, dear. Paul and I will get crackin' ti secure everything…"

"All right…" she gave wan smile, heading out…Passing a smiling Paul who nodded to her as she exited.

"Paul? We'd better get moving…" Aldous noted, eyeing computer. "Just the main files, everything else should be ready." He clicked a few times with mouse.

"Fine." Nod. "Aldous? Do you really intend to bring Rachel along?"

"Paul?" stare. "Not only is she rather an essential component of the project, she's a senior staffer and a team player…Very much so…" he eyed the corpse on the floor… "And of course she and I…"

Leering…

Eeheww…Paul winced.

God, the woman is practically your daughter, you perv…

But, a job's a job…And I do rather like it… Plus these guys can clear me of my past…Not only the "friendly fire" incident…Never cross me in business, boys… And that silly little mass murder charge…

Hey, everybody I hit deserved to be hit…

Well, the kids were collateral…Shit happens…

"Paul? I think I've made it clear that Rachel is coming with us?"

Paul shaking head as Aldous pulled a flash drive out of his computer…

"This all doesn't seem a bit too pat for you? She escapes from Sarah with a blood sample from Kira? She nails our friend Hendrix over there."

"Rachel's always gotten the essential job done…And in a moment of panic…This matter's closed, Paul. Lets…"

"I don't think so…" Paul, pulling gun…

"Paul?" Leekie staring as Paul fired several times…Point blank…

… Without effect.

"An old trick from the Gestapo…Shoot one of your own to win trust…She just freshened it up with blanks."

Shit-eating grin…

"Hey!" he backed away from Leekie's sudden punch…

"That's mostly for that shit-eating grin and partly in mourning for my girlfriend…" Aldous glared.

"It's got to be Allison…" he noted, looking to where "Rachel" had left a moment ago.

God, there's no one stupider than a husband in love with his wife…Should've known that lumpen drone would turn on us…

"What about Hendrix? He's got to be under…" Paul, feeling jaw…

The things I put up with for the job I must admit I love…

Even to having sex with that bitch Beth…And Sarah as Beth…

After all, I'm gay…

"Leave him…He can wake up to find his little game worked and we took her with us…"

Well, maybe I can get in a few more kicks as we leave…

"We're taking her? Aldous?"

Thin-lipped smile…

"I'd say this problem's best disposed of over water, from a great height…And I'm taking her, Paul. No one said anything about you getting a transfer."

Damn…Thought I'd finally have a chance to be alone with him on that long flight to Zimbabwe, our new unregulated land of opportunity where Science can continue its giant strides unfettered by moralistic nonsense. But God, he's so devastating when he goes into menacing mode…

"Aldous?" Allison, now changed to a traveling suit, from the office door…

"I'm ready…"

"Great, dear. Come in. We're just about set. I'm just making my good-byes to Paulie here." Leekie smiled coolly.

"Ms. Duncan?" Paul smiled. "I just want you to know I hope you'll imagine me being along on this trip with you, in spirit."

"Thank you, Paul." Allison nodded, wan smile.

You two-timin', betraying lil'…Can't wait to see your ass roasting in jail…

Ally? Donnie, paralyzed as yet but having heard all…

Get out of here!...Ally!...


	2. Chapter 2

Orphans Beloved… "East by SouthWest…"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.

.

Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.

Part II…

"Lets be off…The chopper's set, Paul?" Leekie eyed the still smiling, attentively waiting Paul…

"All set, sir…I'll have you at the airport in fifteen minutes…"

Pity we couldn't do it over New York Harbor, Paul thought…I'd so enjoy seeing one of them plunging to their deaths. And somehow, murdering hausfrau Allison disguised as ice queen Rachel really does it for me, sadistic revengewise…

Paul seems eager enough to see us off, Allison thought…

Well, just got get us to the airport where "Beth" and Art will be waiting to grab Leekie and his computer files…All the data we'll need to save Cosima and probably, others…

Maybe even me, soon enough…

Glance to where Donnie lay…

Hope that stuff was enough to keep him out till we're off…I want no more heroics from you, Donald Hendrix.

Ally…He tried to speak, still paralyzed…

"Rachel, dear? Time to be soarin'…" Leekie smiled at her.

"Hmmn? Oh, sorry…Lost in my thoughts. I think I'll miss the old place…" she smiled wanly.

Right…All three looked around the gloomy, stark interior…

Even for a twisted sadist like me place seems like a tomb, Paul noted to himself…

The group headed off…

Donnie on the floor struggling to move…Finally a foot jerking forward…He rolled over…

Ok…Cosima said the emergency antidote was where?

Right…Just press the big toe on right till the minivial breaks…Just like with the left. He focused…

C'mon, it's just a toe…

Hendrix, first thing after this we start using that exercise program with Ally…

…

Helipad on roof of Dyad Institute…

Dramatic lights and shadows, sweep of chopper blade as Paul in pilot's seat revs engine…

"Come on, Rachel…" Leekie urged her in… "We should have a lovely view of the Statue of Liberty as we head out…"

Irony, Dr. Leekie? She blinked at his calm look…Climbing aboard…

"Aldous, wouldn't you rather have the window seat?" she asked.

"Not at all, I want you to have a good view…You know, it's funny how some of you, like poor Allison, inherited your donor's fear of heights and some, like you, are fearless that way."

"Yeah…" she sighed…Taking outer seat as Leekie gave Paul a slight, tight smile…

Just having a little fun…And, hey, one never knows…We may want to do this sooner rather than later…

The copter lifted off the helipad with a roar as Leekie signed to Paul…

Just as Donnie staggered from the rooftop door and racing as best he could on numb legs, lept to grab at the left landing strut of the copter…

…Causing a sudden lurch that threw the occupants about a bit in their seats as the copter soared away from the Institute building…

…

"What the frack?!" Paul eyed the instrument panel…

"What happened?" a nervous Allison… "Did we hit something?!"

"Do we need to set back down, Paul?" Aldous…

"I don't know…Wait…" he looked out his side's door..

"I think there's something on the left side here…Whoa!" he jerked back at the shot fired…

"Hendrix?!" Leekie glared…

"Donnie?!" Allison, shocked… "Oh, we'd better go back! Uh, I mean…We'd better deal with Hendrix."

"Not dead…" Leekie smiled… "Isn't that a surprise, eh, Rachel?"

"What do you want to do?" Paul asked, struggling for a moment with the controls then relaxing as he compensated.

"Just keep on…He's sure to fall off shortly." Leekie, coldly.

"Fall off?!" Allison, terrified. "Uh, Aldous, that might attract attention."

"Eh, corpses hit the waters of New York Harbor all the same, dear hart…" Leekie patted her hand with a leering grin. "Though usually from the Jersey side…Say, Paul? Why don't we get in a good look at Lady Liberty? Circle in close a few times, we've time enough."

….

On the one hand…Donnie reflected…

I'm getting a fabulous view of New York…Especially the Statue of Liberty closing in…

On the other hand…I'd've fallen already but my arms are still too numb to feel themselves being pulled out of their sockets…


	3. Chapter 3

Orphans Beloved… "East by SouthWest…"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.

.

Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.

Part III…

"Aldous…?" "Rachel", struggling to keep an icy, who-cares-if-Donnie-Hendrix-feeds-the-NYC-Harbor-f ishes tone…

"Just a moment, dear…" he put up a hand. "Paul, once around the Statue air boundaries again…A little faster this time? Agent Hendrix is a bit persistent."

"We might want to just shoot him off…" Paul noted with repressed glee… "The local air defense is going to get antsy about us poking around Miss Liberty, even if we keep the required distance."

Uh…..

"Good point." Leekie nodded. "Say, maybe if we lurch up as you shoot, we can get him to fall right onto the Torch…Or one of the Crown's points?"

"I'll do my best, boss…" Paul grinned… Pulling pistol, preparing to open his door as he set the copter hovering.

Slight bang from below as Donnie struggled to try and get a leg up on the strut…

"Just a sec, Paul…Unless you'd care to do the honors, Rach?" Leekie smiled at her.

"Uh…" she considered…

"You have your gun, the one you shot Hendrix with, right…?" wider beam... "No, that's right…Paul took it. Paul, you still have Rachel's gun?"

"Why sure…" Paul handed the gun over with a smirk. "Afraid I didn't have a chance to get rid of it. But I did note that it was loaded, all right."

"Here you go, Rach…" Leekie, slight sneer. "Have at the pudgy little fellow…Though, given the blanks, you might need to get in pretty close, Allison."

She eyed him, holding gun…

"Clever girl…" he raised a forefinger, smiling… "So where is my Rachel?"

"Dead." She said calmly. "She got a little possessive of Kira and Sarah killed her."

The good news just keeps on coming, Paul noted to himself, minding the controls and glancing out his side door to see if Donnie'd yet come loose from his surprisingly firm death grip on the strut…

"Sarah killed her…" Leekie, slightly off color suddenly…

"Decapitated her actually…In case you were hoping for a Helena-style comeback. But she left her no choice…"

"Decapitated…" Leekie, a bit blankly…

"I'm…Sorry…But she tried to kill Sarah…"

Tell me they both bought it, Paul thought…Make my day…

"…don't move Dr. Leekie…" Allison finished, pointing gun. "Tell Paul to land this thing, carefully."

"Oh? Or what?" Leekie frowned. "You give me a powder burn?"

"Not all the bullets are blanks, Doctor." She insisted. "Donnie made sure I put some real ones in…"

"Uh-huh…Dear…" Leekie smiled thinly. "If you think I'd fall for that…"

"Doctor?" Paul, anxiously… "I didn't get to check all the bullets…Uh…It would make sense…"

"Please, I'm no…"

Bang…

"Jesus H. Christ!" Leekie grabbed his arm…

"I'm sorry!" Allison, horrified… "I warned you…"

Actually I wasn't sure if this one was real or a blank, but…

"Doctor?!" Paul, anxiously…

No, no…Not the love of my life, potentially…

"Give me that gun, Allison!..." Leekie, reaching with his good arm, holding the wounded arm close to his chest… "Paul!"

The copter lurched up…Allison and Leekie slamming against her side door…Paul shooting with his gun at the door mechanism, the door popped open and Allison went partially out…Held for a moment by seat belt which a furious Leekie unsnapped with his good hand.

"Good-bye, you bourgeois freak!" Leekie sneered…

"NO!" Allison cried, falling out…

"Ally!" Donnie, just hanging on…Grabbing for her…His grip breaking as he did…

Jesus…Paul stared…

Crap…Leekie stared out the door to see both Allison and Donnie had landed, more or less intact on the midsection of the Crown of the Statue…

"Shit! Paul!" he cried, pointing… "Get them!"

"I'll have to violate airspace…They'll shoot us down!" Paul noted.

"Take a look, moron!" Leekie waved at the copter window, Paul looking to see several police copters moving their way.

"He must have called back-up…" Paul blinked. "We can't get away…" He eyed the Statue…

Or perhaps…

He dropped down and releasing his belt, hopped down to the surface of the Crown.

"Paul!?" Leekie cried, moving to grab the controller with his good hand…

"Son of a bitch…You're fired!"

"Dyad Institute Helicopter 14N11, set down immediately!" a loudspeaker blared…

"Goddamn it!" Leekie fumed.

Perfectly frackin' end to a perfect frackin' day…

Paul eyeing the copter from his perch, gun drawn…Looking for Allison and Donnie…

…

Crouching low on the Crown, near one of the projecting spikes…

"Donnie? Are you all right?!" Allison hissed…

"I'm not sure…" he noted… "I think my arms are dislocated but I still can't feel them…"

"Hendrix!...Uh…Hendrix!" Paul called… "Come out and I'll let you both play hostages!" he looked round, keeping low, gun trained in front of him.

"Come on, guys!…I've no time for games. Come out and we'll head down." He moved their way, cautiously…

Allison pulled gun, pointing…Pulling Donnie back…

"Keep back, Paul! I'll…"

Gunshot ricocheted , just by her hand…

Whoa!...She fired back…

Click…

Uh-oh…

"Donnie?"

"Dropped mine after the first shot on the strut…" he sighed.

"Paul! If we come out, you'll promise not to shoot?!" she called.

"Sure, Ally!" he called, grinning… "I promise…"

Finger crossed behind back…

Hardly likely I could make it down with you two holding me back…

"Ally…I don't think…" Donnie began…

She waved a hand, propping her Rachel wig on her gun, raising it slightly…

Gunshot…

"Ooops! Sorry!" Paul called merrily… "Don, welcome to the widower's club!"

"Move back, Donnie…!" Allison hissed…As Paul came cautiously forward.

"Move back where?" Donnie hissed back…Looking…

"I hear you…" Paul, teasingly, firing… "And I'd say you're both unarmed…" he moved forward.

"The hell you know!" Donnie rising to throw Ally's gun at Paul who dodged…As the Hendrixes clambered onto the projecting spike behind them…

"Ohhh…" Allison grabbed onto the spike, helping Donnie to get a grip…

"Gosh, you two look so good together…" Paul, mockingly as he crouched near the spike. Pointing gun...

"It's over Paul…Help us and they might go easier on you…!" Donnie cried.

"They'll have to find me first, Hendrix…" Paul grinned, rising to step onto the spike.

Oh…Allison, hanging, desperately shutting eyes to avoid a look down…

Heh, heh…Paul stepped on Donnie's clinging hand…

Hmmn?...He stepped harder…

"Jesus, Hendrix? What are you on?" he frowned down at the desperately hanging Donnie… Mashing hard on the numb hand… "Well, I'll just shoot…" he gasped, pulled gun in hand as a gunshot rang out…Falling…

Ow…He eyed the lower crown spike his shoulder had impaled on…Tearing…

"Arrrgggh!..." he screamed, falling again…

"Shit! Jesus, shit!" as he whanged onto yet another spike…Through his side now…

"OWWW!...No, no!" he cried as he fell off…Whanging yet again onto…Yes, another spike…

"My incredibly athletic thigh!...Oh!" he groaned, wincing at the spike protruding from his bleeding thigh…

"No…Oh…No, no!" he fell off, again…

Whanging on the folds of the side…Which at least did break his fall a bit…

"OWWWW!...Arrrrgggghhhh!..."

Whoa…He found himself on the ground, bleeding, bones shattered, but just barely conscious and alive…

"Wow…" Donnie stared down from the spike… "You know I think he's still alive…" he noted to Allison…

"I'm almost not, Donnie!" she noted, crying out…

"Just hang on, sweetheart!"

"Right…Is your hand ok?" she asked.

"I don't think so…But at least it's numb as can be…" he noted.

"Donnie?..."

"Yep, right here…" he eyed her…

"I think I'm going to be sick…"

"Try and target Paul, if you can…I'd take it as an act of love…"

"You….Brrrwwwhhh… Wow…Direct hit… Got it…" she beamed.

"Thanks…Ally?"

"Yeah?"

"I think my hand's separating from my arm…"

"Just hang on, Donnie!" she made a fierce move…Wrapping legs around the spike…

"Wow…" he blinked… "When did you learn to do that?"

"No idea…Owww…" she groaned. "Hold on to me, honey…Hold on…"

"Jesus…" Sarah Manning, looking down from the thick edge of the spike where she and Art Bell had just landed from their police copter… "What the hell are you two up to?"

"Dying…" Allison noted…Gasping…As Art managed to grab her and two policemen assisted Donnie…

"Of course…" she wheezed as she and Donnie were hauled up to the secure surface of the Crown's main structure…Faintly beaming at Donnie… "You know in Elizabethan times, dying meant…"

"Sex…Yeah, I'm not ignorant, sis." Sarah noted. "Oh and we got Leekie and the files…Nice job, guys." She beamed.

"I think I need a good hand surgeon…" Donnie eyed his hand…

"Or I may never play the…Ally…Again…" he grinned at the beaming Allison…

Eehew…Sarah groaned…

I love you guys and you've saved my daughter and my sis but…Eehew…

Fee's right…Suburbanites are so creepy…

…

Paul, gasping on the ground…As an EMT team came to him…

"My God…" the male member eyed his female partner… "He's still alive…How can he still be alive?"

"You!...I'm an important government test subject…" Paul groaned. "Contact Dr. Aldous Leekie, he knows my medical history. I'll live if you get me to a hospital, stat…"

"You call…I stay with poor boy and stabilize him." The female EMT team member noted. The male, nodding, hurried…As the female faced the writhing Paul on the ground…

"Hello Paul…" Helena beamed at his suddenly terrified face. "Always nice to see my sisters' treacherous ex-..."


End file.
